Bags or pouches are utilized for packaging numerous materials and products, being extensively used for packaging both dry and liquid food products. The pouch-type package is widely used for dry or powderlike materials, such as cake mixes and the like. The bag or pouch is conventionally formed from a sheetlike material, such as either a heat-sealable plastic or a laminate having at least a heat sealable coating.
It is conventional to form, fill and seal such pouches on either of two basic types of machines, one being referred to as a "continuous" machine, and the other being referred to as an "intermittent" machine. Neither of these types of machines, however, have provided the maximum rate of utilization required for optimum efficiency of production coupled with maximum flexiblity and adaptability for forming and handling different sizes and shapes of pouches, particularly pouches which have a bottom gusset and/or are nonself-supporting.
For example, in one typical "continuous" machine, the sheet stock used for forming the pouch is continuously withdrawn from a roll and a plurality of pouches are formed in adjacent and interconnected side-by-side relationship. The series of interconnected pouches is fed to the filling station, such as a rotatable table or turret whereupon the individual pouches are filled, and from which the pouches are then fed to a sealing station so as to close and seal the pouches. The pouches, still joined together in series, are then fed to a cutting station which separates the pouches from one another. While this "continuous" machine is desirable from the standpoint of being operable at a relatively high production rate, nevertheless this machine is extremely complex both structurally and operationally, and is undesirably costly. Further, this machine is normally suitable for handling only a single size pouch since the pouches must necessarily be handled when still series-connected together inasmuch as the actual separation of the individual pouches occurs only after the pouches have been filled and sealed. Such a machine can not be readily adjusted for handling different size pouches, and hence such machine is traditionally utilized only in those situations requiring extremely large volumes of identical pouches such that the machine can be utilized continuously over long periods of time for forming and filling identical pouches.
In another type of "continuous" machine, the pouches are preformed and individually separated prior to filling and sealing thereof. However, with this machine, the pouches are supported by a structure which supportingly engages the bottom of the pouch, so that the pouch thus stands upright in a self-supporting manner during the filling and sealing operation. This type of machine is thus limited for use with pouches which are relatively stiff, such as pouches which are of heavy paper or foil laminate, since such pouches are basically self-supporting and will remain in an open upright position even when supported solely at the bottom. This machine, however, is incapable of handling pouches formed of thin extremely flexible material, such as conventional thin plastic, since such pouches are not self-supporting and hence are incapable of being supported solely at the bottom. Further, this known "continuous" machine is also unsuitable for use with pouches employing a bottom gusset, namely those pouches requiring filling with a substantial quantity of material, since the bottom support of the pouch restricts and effectively prevents opening of the bottom gusset. This machine is thus severely limited in that it is primarily usable only with nonbottom-gusseted pouches constructed of stiff material so that the pouches are substantially self-supporting.
Accordingly, when handling pouches which employ a bottom gusset, and/or are constructed of an extremely flexible material such that the pouch is not self-supporting when supported from the bottom, the industry has accordingly utilized an "intermittent" type machine which provides a suspension system for supporting the pouch during the filling and sealing operations. The "intermittent" machine has also been extensively utilized in those situations where adjustability and optimum flexibility are required, that is, in those situations where the machine must be easily capable of accommodating and adjusting to different sizes and types of pouches.
With the "intermittent" machine, the partially-formed pouches are individually separated prior to filling, whereupon the machine then possesses various pouch-holding devices which themselves are designed to accommodate different sizes of pouches. The individually separated and preformed pouches are then filled on this type of machine, and thereafter sealed. To permit the handling of the individual preformed pouches, however, the machine normally moves in an intermittent steplike manner, which thereby greatly restricts the filling rate of the machine, such that these machines thus fill and seal a substantially smaller number of pouches per hour than is possible with a "continuous" machine.
To permit the "intermittent" machine to accommodate pouches of different size, one known machine utilizes a pouch-supporting device which supports the pouch adjacent only one side thereof. This arrangement provides obvious disadvantages since it provides nonuniform support of the pouch and hence makes filling difficult. This also complicates the sealing of the top edge of the pouch after the filling step has been completed.
Other "intermittent" machines have attempted to overcome the problems associated with those machines which support the pouch at only a single side by utilizing a device which supports the opposite upper corners of the pouch. These machines, however, have not been adjustable and have necessarily relied upon devices which are complex both structurally and operationally.
Another problem commonly encountered on known machines is the difficulty in eliminating the wrinkles from the open top of the filled pouch prior to sealing thereof. This difficulty has resulted in improper sealing of some pouches, and hence results in a certain percentage of pouches being unacceptable for commercial use.
Accordingly, this invention relates to an apparatus for the continuous handling, filling and sealing of pouches, particularly pouches having a bottom gusset and/or not being capable of self-support.
More specifically, this invention relates to an improved apparatus which permits the continuous handling, filling and sealing of individual bottom-gusseted and/or nonself-supporting pouches at a very rapid and efficient rate, with the improved apparatus of this invention additionally having a pouch supporting mechanism which can be readily adjusted to accommodate pouches of different size and shape while still permitting such pouches to be handled continuously and automatically at a very rapid rate.
According to this invention, pouches are formed in a conventional manner from a folded web of heat sealable material, such as a plastics material, which pouches are open at the upper edge and are initially joined together in series. The pouches are then separated from one another, and the individual separated pouches are automatically supplied to the inlet station of an endless continuously-moving pouch carrier which is provided with adjustable pouch-supporting mechanisms at uniform intervals therealong. Each pouch-supporting mechanism suspendingly supports the pouch adjacent the opposite sides thereof in the vicinity of the upper edge, and the pouch is moved past an opening station which, by utilizing suction cups and air jets, results in the pouch being fully opened. The pouches are then continuously moved into and through a filling station, which filling station incorporates a plurality of material-guiding funnels which are rotatably supported in a turretlike arrangement and move at the same speed as the pouches when positioned over the open mouths thereof. A control mechanism, which is synchronized with the movement of the pouch carrier, lowers a guide finger arrangement such that a pair of opposed spring-urged fingers enter into the mouth of the pouch to both center same under the funnel and securely hold same open, and shortly thereafter the lower end of the guide funnel is lowered into the open mouth of the pouch to insure that the material is properly deposited therein. After a proper metered amount of material has been deposited through the funnel into the pouch, the guide funnel and the fingers are raised upwardly out of the pouch, and the pouch then passes through a vibrating station which removes excess material and causes settling of the material within the pouch. The pouch and its associated supporting mechanism then passes into a tensioning station which stretches the mouth of the pouch so as to effectively close same and remove any wrinkles therefrom, and at the same time effects heating of the pouch mouth. The filled pouch then passes through a conventional sealing station which effectively heat seals the pouch mouth, whereupon the support mechanism thereafter releases the pouch for discharge to an external conveyor or like device. The empty pouch-support mechanism then continues along its endless path and again reaches the inlet station whereupon a new but empty preformed pouch is again fed to and supported on the mechanism.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with apparatus of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.